A Mountain Home man charged with internet stalking of a child has entered a plea of not guilty through his attorney in Baxter County Circuit Court. The attorney for 40-year-old Brady Dale Terry, Emily Reed of Mountain Home, waived her client’s appearance during the Tuesday court session. Terry is scheduled to return to court for a status hearing on October 12.
The charges stem from a July incident in which the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by a representative of Trilogy Media, an organization reportedly involved in operations targeting alleged predators and scammers. According to court documents, Trilogy Media informed law enforcement that Terry had been engaging in online conversations with someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl. The individual was, in fact, an adult decoy working with Trilogy Media.
Authorities stated that the decoy arranged to meet Terry at a residence in Mountain Home, referred to as a "bait house," and told him she would be home alone. According to the probable cause affidavit, Terry acknowledged in the conversations that the decoy had claimed to be 14 years old and reportedly indicated that her age was not a deterrent.
On July 23, law enforcement and Trilogy Media representatives set up surveillance inside the bait house. When Terry arrived, he was met by the decoy posing as the underage girl. Following a brief interaction, deputies entered the room and arrested him. During the arrest, deputies reported that condoms fell out of Terry's pocket as he stood up.
Authorities say Terry was initially unresponsive to questions about his intentions, but later agreed to speak with investigators. He reportedly admitted multiple times during the interview that the decoy had identified as a 14-year-old and expressed regret, claiming he had wanted to believe she was 19. Terry allegedly attributed his actions to loneliness.
Terry was released from custody after posting a $25,000 bond. The investigation remains ongoing.